GoFundMe has lifted the ban on Kyle Rittenhouse fundraising after his arrest on Friday.
The site previously banned Rittenhouse legal defense fundraisers because he was accused of a violent crime. This hurdle was cleared by Rittenhouse’s Friday exoneration at his trial.
“If someone is acquitted of those charges, as Rittenhouse was today, a fundraiser started subsequently for their legal defense and other expenses would not violate this policy,”The statement is as follows. “A fundraiser to pay lawyers, cover legal expenses or to help with ongoing living expenses for a person acquitted of those charges could remain active as long as we determine it is not in violation of any of our other terms and, for example, the purpose is clearly stated and the correct beneficiary is added to the fundraiser.”
However, GoFundMe reports that it has waived its blanket ban in these cases.
“We are monitoring our site for related fundraisers to try to verify, as we do for all events that have widespread attention, that the funds are going to the intended recipient and that the fundraiser is within our Terms of Service,” the GoFundMe statement on lifting Rittenhouse’s ban said. “This process takes time and may slow down the withdrawal process. If the fundraiser does violate our Terms of Service or does not directly benefit the intended beneficiary, we will remove it from the platform.”
Rittenhouse has been cleared of all criminal charges. But Rittenhouse could be facing civil or federal civil rights litigations regarding his shooting incident. John Pierce, his former attorney posted a bond of $2 million on Rittenhouse’s behalf.